This is where I have to go all-out to get the translation of Maid RPG done in time, but I’m pretty confident I can pull it off, maybe even with time to spare. The last post on the game generated a heck of a lot of traffic, without me really trying to get it linked anywhere myself. This is all pretty exciting, especially when I look back at just how much I’ve now translated. Doing all three of the original Japanese books doesn’t look nearly so insurmountable anymore. In any case, I’m going to be posting about different aspects of the game leading up to its release.
Scenarios
You seldom see adventure scenarios in Western RPGs, so I have a hard time making a properly informed comparison, but I have noticed that Japanese RPGs are more likely to include at least one or two scenarios in a core rulebook, and Maid RPG adds a total of 15 in its two supplements. Compared to the very few I have read (like Gold Rush Games’ incredible Shiki collection for Sengoku), the scenarios I’ve translated for Maid RPG so far seem very constrained. They map out a very specific role for the maids in the story, such that you could easily make a flowchart of the events of the scenario. I suspect that in actual play it’s not quite as stifling as it sounds, but it’s definitely more constraining than your average Western gamer is used to. I would compare it to certain indie games, like The Shab-al-Hiri Roach, in that you’re forced to do certain things, but you get a heck of a lot of freedom within that context.
Regardless, there’s a huge variety of scenarios, from throwing a birthday party to battling other maids for the fate of the world. In between are a tokusatsu hero, a murder mystery, shrine maidens fending off an evil god, a marriage contest, a case of amnesia, and more.
Costumes
Of the many optional rules in the game, my favorite is definitely the Costume Change rules. Maids can spend Favor to cease being a maid, don a different outfit, and take on the role that accompanies it. Maids who change costumes lose their Maid Powers, but get some new powers related to the costume. This covers professions (doctor, secretary, scientist), fetishized outfits (school swimsuit, school uniform, nurse, shrine maiden, etc.), and anime references (plugsuit, Mobile Suit costume, tiger-striped bikini with horns, etc.)
Yaruki Zero Games 
I’m really looking forward to it. Sounds like a whole lot of fun.
I’ve got questions : how will this translation be available to the english public (book, pdf)? Copyright wise, will it be free or will it have a cost? What is the official publishing house, and what is the purchasing availability of this rpg (through Amazon.com, Lulu or other method)?
My partner in crime, Andy Kitkowski, is handling that end of things, so I’ll have to ask him for the full details. We’ll be doing things with very much the typical economics of a small-scale RPG publication. We have a licensing agreement with Sunset Games (the original Japanese publisher), though I’m not at liberty to discuss the details. There will definitely be a price tag, though I honestly can’t say what it would be at this point as I’m still translating the base manuscript. I know we’re going to have a small print run for GenCon, and then (owing to the timing of things) a larger print run to be sold online, but we haven’t discussed in detail where, much less the question of whether there’ll be a PDF version.
Is it possible to pre-order a copy?
>> how will this translation be available to the english public (book, pdf)?
Book first. Eventually, after perhaps a month or more, the PDF version will be available as well.
>> Copyright wise, will it be free or will it have a cost?
Could you explain your question again? The book/PDF will be for sale, for a price.
The price has not been determined yet. I want to try to keep it as cheap as humanly possible. But, if you look at the game objectively, we are combining all of the data from one core book and two supplement books: All the text, all the art, and even a few extra things special for the English edition. Altogether, the set in Japan would be about $70-80 or more. The English book will be no where near that price, but just wanted to tell you that in one reasonably priced book, you’ll be getting “80 dollars worth of content”.
>> What is the official publishing house?
K-Neko Design.
>> and what is the purchasing availability of this rpg
At first, we will probably sell direct from the website for a very short period of time upon release, and then from that point on we hope to sell through Indie Press Revolution (IPR).
>> Is it possible to pre-order a copy?
It will be, but not yet: Give us a few months, and keep checking back to Ewen’s blog.
Thanks!
-Andy
Do payment methods include mail money order?
(I don’t have paypal T-T )
>> Copyright wise, will it be free or will it have a cost?
Could you explain your question again? The book/PDF will be for sale, for a price.
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Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you didn’t have copyright problems with this project.
>> Do payment methods include mail money order?
We’ll make exceptions. :-) But yeah, we’ll work it all out. We’re not stupid enough to refuse when people Want To Give Us Money For Our Game. :-)
>> Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you didn’t have copyright problems with this project.
Ah, ok. Yeah, if there were legal problems we wouldn’t have started. All of my public Japanese game projects are totally legit, cleared, contracts agreed upon or signed, etc.
-Andy